If you are interested in becoming a legal resident of Costa Rica, there are several ways to do so. If you are married to a Costa Rica citizen or have a Costa Rican relative you can apply under the family reunification section of the immigration law.

If you are retired and have a monthly pension of at least $1,000, you qualify for the retiree status (pensionado). Or as a rentista, an income recipient, you could demonstrate that you have a reliable income of $2,500 a month — or you could just deposit $60,000 in an approved Costa Rica bank.

Yet another option is to purchase $200,000 worth of property in Costa Rica and take advantage of the investor residency program as an inversionista.

In this video Roger Petersen, a Costa Rica attorney specializing in real estate law, explains how to gain Costa Rica residency with an investment of $200,000 in real estate.

Petersen, author of the book “The Legal Guide to Costa Rica,” has been practicing law for 22 years with a specialization in real estate transactions.